JPH05503451A - Footwear with an improved insole - Google Patents

Abstract

A midsole, partial midsole, or the like (10), for inclusion in an article of footwear having a flexible, air-permeable top sole, characterized by at least one plug (11) in the heel region having a thickness (height) sufficient to permit significant compression deformationm along its thickness dimension accompanied by simultaneous significant bulging deformation in its circumscribing surface perpendicular to the thickness dimension; the deformations occuring solely due to normal walking activity by any wearer of the footwear; and the deformations thereby providing simultaneously for shock-absorption and ventilation during said normal walking activity.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Footwear with an improved insole Background of the invention 1. Field of invention The present invention provides improved footwear, particularly cushioning and ventilation for the foot of the wearer. Improved shoes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement in the midsole of a shoe.

2. Conventional technology A large number of sports shoes such as running shoes have been disclosed, and they are suitable for many sports. Shoes are on the market and various shapes of soles are disclosed to improve the performance of gym shoes. ing. Regarding the outer sole, which is the only part that comes into direct contact with the ground, the shape of the It has been proposed to provide impact absorption performance.

U.S. Pat. 782,603, etc., much of the prior art is known. This patent applies to shoes. A series of parallel, spaced apart tubes positioned approximately transverse to their length The company proposes a separately molded sole that is encapsulated.

The parallel tubes are compressed in response to the footsteps of the wearer, and the patent also claims that the parallel tubes states that the web must have sufficient elasticity and strength to resist buckling along its walls. I'm looking forward to it.

U.S. Patent No. 4,316, granted February 23, 1982 to Giese et al. , 332, which is formed to retain a shock absorbing material and which is formed to hold a shock-absorbing material and which is A shoe outsole is disclosed that includes a hollow portion surrounded by a rigid edge.

U.S. Patent No. 4,60, granted September 2, 1986 to Cavanagh. No. 8,768 discloses the use of a plug inserted into an open support forming an insole. ing. The plug is made of a harder material than the material of the insole.

U.S. Patent No. 4.831,7, granted May 23, 1989 to Tsai. No. 49 discloses footwear having an inner sole with ventilation and pine surge properties. Inside The sole has a number of upper beads that protrude upward to touch the wearer's feet, and It has a large number of lower beads that protrude downward to rest on the soles of the feet of the wearer. When the foot compresses the inner sole, an air flow is formed between each upper bead and each lower bead. It enters and exits through the holes, ventilating the wearer's feet and providing pine surge.

U.S. Patent No. 4,685, granted August 11, 1987 to Anger; No. 224 uses a labyrinth of ventilation gaps between the upper sole of the shoe and the sole of the foot. this The shoes create a pumping effect that moves air around the wearer's feet and provides ventilation. The aim is to

U.S. Patent Nos. 3 and 4, granted December 31, 1968, to Anciaux. No. 18,731 opens the use of an inner sole for shoes having upper and lower surfaces of elastic material. It shows. The upper surface of the shoe has a plurality of blind hole-like recesses, and the bottom surface has corresponding recesses. Protrusions are provided to provide some ventilation during walking motions.

The closest prior art encountered in preliminary research is against Lin Yung Mao. No. 4,845,863, issued July 11, 1989. So This disclosure discloses the use of an insole or midsole in an active shoe. The statement is below An impermeable courtyard/inner bottom formed of a resilient member projecting toward the opposite direction is described. these The members are arranged and dimensioned so that they fit into the receiving part of the outer sole and cushion the footsteps of the wearer. It has become.

The patent describes the prior art deficiencies as follows:

Conventional insole does not offer any independent suspension means or deformation of various areas of the insole. No offer, just a suit tailored to the wearer's particular weight class or sexual preference. It only matches.

comprising a plurality of Kunjon elements, each constituting an individual suspension means, and the remaining elements on March 29, 1988, to Lin. The mid-bottom of the order disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733.483 It has been added. However, the flat outsole and insole disclosed therein do not allow the heel to bounce. They have been found to have a tendency to cause a spring-board effect that causes vibrations and vibrations. During ~ Unless the sole fully fits into the cavity formed inside the shoe, the midsole has a tendency to slip inside it. There is a direction. Multiple cushion elements with individual suspension means that do not slip or vibrate The need to have a child arose in the middle.

United States granted on July 4, 1989 to the same <Lin Yung-Mao. Patent No. 4,843,741 discloses a similar structure but with a downward facing plate. The lugs additionally include approximately cylindrical cavities in each element to reduce the weight of the midsole. ing.

Another prior art is by A11son Turnball, July 1989. The 42 races of the New 5ientiSt on the 15th” and its immediate aftermath. Alexander and Bennett's “Ranni” published on pages 45-46 of There is a paper called "On the Flexibility of Shoes". The author disappears with each step. To gym shoe manufacturers who intend to return some of the energy expended to runners. Discusses recent trends in technology.

Numerous disclosures in the prior art describe how to achieve this return of energy in cushioning. It is directed towards the steps. Alexander and Bennett, their test results is summarized as follows.

The required properties in the heel of a shoe are high conformability (or peak deformation) that reduces impact forces. ), in other words, the heel absorbs the kinetic energy of the foot without generating large forces. It is good to absorb large values of peak deformation and deformation work.

The high mechanical strength return in the front part of the sole is of particular importance (see Table 3). deer However, the test results that examined the ratio of energy returned showed how much energy the shoes released. The company does not disclose whether or not it is returning the For this reason, we first ask how much We need to know whether energy has been stored. Compatibility (or peak deformation) and variation The greater the work done by the shape, the more energy the sole exerts when compressed. store. The greater the return of energy, the more the energy is an elastic recoil. will be collected.

Summary of the invention The present invention aims to maximize the energy returned to pedestrians, or It is not intended to provide ventilation per se. The purpose is to

To achieve this objective, the plug or post of the present invention is made of an extremely soft material. must be used and such plugs and pillars must be transparent and flexible. oriented upwardly under the sexual upper sole (sometimes referred to as the inner sole and sock sole); or such that it is necessary to point downward from the top and the normal When compressed by the walking motion of a pedestrian, such a columnar object expands sufficiently. It turned out to be important.

The inflation action moves air between the columns and ventilates the foot through the footwear and upper sole. pillar The fact that the material is soft means that the peak deformation is reduced so that the work of deformation is small. Set it to a large value.

Such footwear is comfortable for the pedestrian's joints and the spinal column that supports the wearer's feet. Ru.

The present invention is designed to easily compress and expand with each step of the wearer. An original having a number of vertical plugs or pillars in the sole area is provided. present invention provides a comfortable base for the foot, matches the contours of its sole, and provides a comfortable base for the wearer. Provides a particularly valuable shock absorbing element that cushions each step. thermoplastic The compressibility of the material is such that the plug is compressed and deformed enough to cause the plug to compress and deform with each step of the wearer. the deformation is accompanied by substantial expansion of the plug, and the plug The compression, expansion and restoration of shape provides airflow in the foot X area and ventilates the footwear. .

-Embodiments of the invention provide an insole or partial insole configured for incorporation into footwear. The shoes provide cushioning against the footsteps of the wearer and provide ventilation. Insole or part The midsole includes a web extending along at least a portion of the outsole of the footwear; 9. A plurality of plugs protruding perpendicularly to the plane; with john element There is. Each plug is made of elastic and easily compressed thermoplastic rubber or similar material. It's made of things. Plugs are placed in the web to cushion each step of the wearer. It gives a comfortable heel to the feet of the person who wears it. Placement, dimensions and number of plugs , and the compressibility of the material allows the plug to easily deform to cushion each step of the wearer. and to the extent that it is significantly compressed. Compression is accompanied by significant expansion of the plug.

The compression, expansion and subsequent recovery of the plug moves the surrounding air and Provide ventilation.

In another embodiment, the invention provides footwear comprising an outsole and an upper sole, the outsole being elastic. a plurality of upright plugs formed of a compressible material having The plug is Located on the outsole, it provides a comfortable heel for the wearer's feet and Buffer each step. The arrangement, dimensions and number of said plugs and the plastic material. Compressibility means that the plug deforms easily and noticeably so that it cushions each step of the wearer. It is assumed that the amount is compressed to . Compression is accompanied by significant expansion of the plug. plug compression, The expansion and subsequent recovery of shape moves surrounding air to ventilate the footwear.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a plan view of an insole constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of the portion of the web shown in FIG. 1; FIG.

3.4 and 5 are side elevation views of the portion of the web shown in FIG. Three embodiments of upright plugs are each shown.

FIG. 6 shows a different embodiment of the web provided on the sock sole.

Figure 7 shows one of the parts of this invention! ! FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a complete shoe.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the realization of a compressible plug.

FIG. 9 shows a cavity or The outer sole is shown with a space provided therein.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are cross-sectional views of the web shown in FIG. 2, with the shape of the plug modified. It is.

FIG. 12 shows the top 41 of the web shown in FIG. The lengths are gradually shortened to accommodate different assemblies.

FIG. 13 is a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows the structure of the midsole of the heel portion of the shoe according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 shows a modification of the invention applied to the heel of a women's shoe or sandal.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment FIG. 1 is a plan view of the midsole, shown as webs 10, the webs 10 being numerous. The upright plug 11 is provided. These plugs, in this example, are connected to the midsole 10 The heel 14 is arranged from the toe portion 12 to the heel 14 via the swollen portion 13. It extends to In this embodiment, each plug 11 is upright with respect to the web 10. and is fixed to the web at its proximal end. In this embodiment, each plug 1 is , showing the central hole I6.

The entire midsole 10 is preferably produced by injection molding, in which case the plug 11 is The webs 10 and 10 of the insole are made of the same material, and the web 10 is flexible but air free. Not transparency. Such insole is adapted for incorporation into footwear and is suitable for wear The tab 10 contacts the top of the outsole, and the plug 11 projects upward.

The most suitable material for such an insole is rsuper available from GLS Plastics (Woodstock) (sold as item #G3294) ). The material is from Shell Chemical Company. known as rkraton, supplied by all companies Made of thermoplastic compound. Preferably, the r<a>a<t>on compound (that are the softest, with a Shore A hardness (D-2240) of 27 and 34. ) are kraton D-2104 and kraton D-3226 It is.

The resulting 5uppersoft thermoplastic has a The midsole material is preferably produced with a durometer reading of around 20. As a result Despite the softness of the insole, the insole exhibits excellent elasticity and long service life. Ru. Of course, in addition to kraton, other materials such as Estane, polyvinyl chloride, or rubber can also be used. There are other materials as well. The exquisite properties of the material make it easily compressible and fully deformable (having a durometer reading of approximately 30 or less), but with a long lifespan A plastic that has elasticity and can elastically return to its original shape once the compressive force is removed. This means that the lug 11 is produced. The shape of the plug 11 is not that important. However, whether the plugs 11 are solid or hollow generally does not affect their deformability. 1st In the illustrated embodiment, they are hollow to save thermoplastic.

Figures 2 and 3 show the portion of the midsole shown in Figure 1 in perspective and side elevation views. . As shown in Figure 3, this embodiment allows for some ventilation under the midsole. A lower protrusion 20 is provided on the midsole. In Figure 4, the plugs are 20 and 21. It is shown. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the plug has varying thicknesses and heights. It has become Such thickness or height is of course arbitrary, but it should be less than 10m5+. The numbers seem reasonable.

In FIG. 5, plug 22 is shown with web 10 centrally located with respect to plug 22. It is held in place at the midsole. This, of course, contributes to shock cushioning. Ru.

In the third issue, FIGS. 4 and 5, the central hole 16 is marked with plugs 11.20. 21 and 22.

FIG. 6 shows that a top web 25 made of porous material is installed in the middle bottom part of FIG. The figure shows an example in which the Alternatively, the top web 25 imparts movement to the air. It can be made of porous material to prevent In this drawing, the plug 11 is It is compressed, deformed, and expanded.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway view of a shoe realizing one shape according to the present invention, which is shown in FIG. A midsole is placed on the outer sole 31 of the shoe. A flexible, air permeable upper sole 30 , is placed on top of the midsole.

FIG. 8 shows a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 in which the outer sole 31 is replaced by an outer sole 32. An example is shown. The outer sole 32 is provided with a number of pockets 33 formed in recesses. and holds plugs 11 of the type described above, and the web 10 eliminates the need to maintain logs. Figure 11 shows how adhesive means or other It is permanently retained in the hole 33 by suitable means.

In FIG. 9, the outsole 42 is provided with cut portions 43 and 44 during fabrication, and in FIG. The appropriately sized and shaped sections 40 and 41 of the web shown in FIG. , to fit into the space, thereby occupying less space inside the footwear. Has an insole Web sections 40 and 41 are effectively held in place against lateral movement. Ru. Of course, it is also possible to provide only one of the sections 40 and 41.

FIG. 10 shows a web 50 provided in the section of web 10 shown in FIG. 1 shows an embodiment according to the present invention. The plug 50 is a hollow plug shown in FIG. It is a solid plug instead of 11. Inflates into the plug while maintaining the desired high compressibility. To create an appropriate degree of compression under the foot of the wearer while allowing tension and recovery. It may be necessary to use a softer material for the plug 50. stomach.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the invention, in which the web of FIG. The web 100 portion similar to 100 has an upright plate that is hollow but approximately square in cross section. 51 is provided. These various configuration parameters achieve maximum performance. You can change it for Thermoplastic elasticity, plug height and shape, per unit area Placement and number of plugs, height variations for different plugs or rows of plugs, hollow plugs and Variations such as the wall thickness of solid plugs as well as hollow plugs achieve the objectives of the invention. can be changed to If it is hollow, 1 to 3 rrrrm A plug with a cross-sectional area of approximately 0.5C112 at wall thickness has been used with satisfactory results. Obtained.

Figure 12 shows another modification of the invention in which the plugs are not all of the same length. ing. There, as shown in FIG. In an insert 41 similar to the insert shown in FIG. Along the way, it gradually becomes shorter through the plug 52 to 53. The length of the plug is It is best to vary it in some suitable way to match the geometry of the middle.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of a section of web according to the invention.

There, the plugs of the upper and lower webs are opposed to each other for increased cushioning. facing. The upper web should be flexible and preferably air permeable.

In FIG. 14, the medial portion of the heel section 60 of the outsole or insole is shown. , it has a square recess 61 in it.

A single large diameter cylindrical plug 62 is inserted into the recess 61 . plug 62 is shown in a compressed and deformed state for convenience of explanation. Compressive deformation is The plug 62 is, of course, so as to partially fill the space between the periphery of the recess 61 and the corner. and exhaust air upward each time the plug 62 expands.

In Figure 15, a heel section 70 of a women's shoe or sandal is shown; has a cylindrical recess 7d and a rectangular recess 72 therein for convenience of explanation. ing. Of course, other polygonal recesses may be used. Plugs 73 and 74 are inserted into the recesses. When installed, as desired for a recess shallower than the thickness or length of the plug. stand out.

FIG. 5 FIG.6 FIG. 7 FIG.8 FIG.9 FIG. 14 FIG. 15 Summary book Insole, partial insole (10 ) etc., which are characterized by having at least one plug (11) in the heel area, This plug simultaneously undergoes considerable bulging deformation on the surrounding surface perpendicular to the thickness direction. sufficient thickness to allow significant compressive deformation along the thickness direction. height), and re-deformation only occurs due to the normal walking movements of the footwear wearer. These deformations simultaneously provide shock absorption and ventilation during this normal walking motion. It is to give to.

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Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. at least one interior made of highly compressible and easily compressible material; Footwear comprising a solid cylindrical plug, the plug being a straight line at the heel of the footwear. It is supported by fitting into a defined recess and projects upwardly therefrom. By being compressed and deformed, it cushions the footsteps of the person wearing the footwear, and at the same time It expands to fill the space between the periphery of the recess and the corner defined by the straight line, and Therefore, the footwear ventilates the feet of the wearer by exhausting the air in the space upwards. 2. The at least one plug is located under a flexible air permeable upper sole of the footwear. The footwear according to claim 1. 3. The footwear according to claim 2, wherein the linearly defined recess is rectangular. 4. The footwear according to claim 3, wherein the linearly defined recess is polygonal. 5. The footwear comprises a plurality of smaller plugs substantially evenly distributed in the heel area. Footwear according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: 6. A footwear insert, the insert comprising: web and integral with the web and extending vertically from at least one surface of the web; a plurality of plugs extending from the shore, the plugs having a Shore A (D -2240) made of an elastic, compressible and thermoplastic material having a value of hardness; The plug has a height in the range of about 3 mm to about 10 mm, and The plugs are sufficient in number and the inserts are used for shock absorption and ventilation. , accompanied by simultaneous pronounced expansion deformation of the surrounding plane perpendicular to the height direction, an insert for footwear configured to permit significant compressive deformation along its height . 7. 7. The insert of claim 6, wherein an air permeable top rests on the plug. 8. The thermoplastic material has a Shore A (D-2240) hardness value of about 20. , an insert according to claim 6. 9. 7. An insert according to claim 6, wherein the plug is hollow. 10. 10. The insert of claim 9, wherein the plug is cylindrical. 11. 7. The insert of claim 6, wherein the plug is a solid cylinder. 12. The web has the shape of a shoe sole and is flexible and conforms to the contours of the shoe. , an insert according to claim 6. 13. The height of the plug changes so that the toe of the insert covers the remaining plug. 13. The insert of claim 12, wherein the insert is shorter than the lugs. 14. Insert according to claim 6, wherein the web is shaped to conform to the heel of a shoe. body. 15. The thermoplastic material is Kraton D-2104, Clay Kraton D-3226, Estane, PVC 7. The insert of claim 6, wherein the insert is selected from the group consisting of: rubber; and rubber. 16. 7. The insert of claim 6, wherein the height of the plug varies. 17. Footwear comprising an outer court, a courtyard, and an upper sole, the courtyard comprising a web and an upper sole. integral with the web and extending vertically from at least one surface of the web; a plurality of plugs extending from the shore, the plugs having a Shore A (D -2240) made of an elastic, compressible and thermoplastic material having a value of hardness; The plug has a height in the range of about 3 mm to about 10 mm, and The plugs are sufficient in number and the inserts are used for shock absorption and ventilation. , accompanied by simultaneous pronounced expansion deformation of the surrounding plane perpendicular to the height direction, Footwear configured to permit significant compressive deformation along its height. 18. The top base is formed of an air permeable material and rests on the plug. Footwear according to claim 17. 19. 18. Footwear according to claim 17, wherein the height of the plug varies.